Tag: australia

I saw someone post this quote on Instagram today, and I thought how perfect it was for how I’m currently feeling.

You are right where you need to be.

Sometimes I wish I could tattoo this to my forehead when I’m getting carried away in my thoughts, reminiscing on past times or wishing away the time looking forward to some future event. Mindfulness is key to maintaining your sanity in this fast-paced world, where our thoughts are constantly bombarded with worries, emotions, fears, guilt trips, dreams, memories and more. I woke up a little melancholy today, July the 8th in sunny Queensland, where Winter means shorts and a T-shirt with a cool breeze on your back. The Lucky Country right? So I allowed myself 15 minutes of snooze time in bed to wallow in my sadness, before getting up and committing to embracing this day.

I’m honestly believing more and more that happiness can be a choice, a small pledge within yourself to simply power through with a positive attitude. Sure, I’m feeling down about a couple of things – but in the grand scheme of life, am I going to care about them in a years time? Absolutely not. It’s hard to maintain that attitude 24/7 of course, but constantly checking in with yourself especially when you’re feeling glum can help shed a little perspective on the situation. I spent the morning wandering through the Botanic Gardens, simply enjoying the peace of nature, birds singing, sun on my neck and nowhere to be. Getting outdoors is a wonderful mood booster for the soul. Trust me, I know sometimes when you’re feeling completely lethargic, comfortable in your track suit pants and socks, and the last thing you feel like doing is donning some active wear and joggers. But just push yourself to try it… 9 times out of 10 you’ll come home feeling more energetic and clear-headed.

I’ve got a friend who comes to town every 2 months and we always have a little catch up, something that has been an unexpected delight. You see the friend is actually the partner of one of my closest friends, and up until we started catching up on our own the relationship had always been a little more reserved, or courteous I suppose. Now that we’ve established our own friendship though outside of the barriers of knowing each other through someone else, it’s been a lovely little addition to my circle. Anyway the point of me writing about him, is not only to emphasise that good company can often come from unexpected places, but that letting people in can broaden your perspectives as well. On one of his visits we went to Cape Hillsborough, a beach area famous for attracting kangaroos right on the brink of dawn. As we sat on the sand watching the first rays of sunlight pierce the ocean, he told me to just listen to all the types of birds singing. I honestly hadn’t even noticed the birds until he said that – to me they had become background noise. But upon tuning in to the calls of nature, I was totally surprised at just how many different sounds we could hear.

Mindfulness – it’s about appreciating the moment, getting lost in the moment and being grateful for this moment.

I’ve just come back from a lovely coffee date with a girlfriend, a first time mother of a gorgeous little girl. We catch up two or three times a month over a warm brew, and every time we’re both bursting to the brim with exciting new information to tell each other – health tips, great podcasts or small town gossip. As I sit here today reflecting on our conversation I can’t help but feel content, and grateful, for long lasting friendships.

I can honestly say that all of my friendships have stood the test of time, and I’m pretty proud of it. I’ve known two of my closest friends since around Grade 4, having gone through all the fun teenage things like pimples, boys and silly fights together. Thrown in there was of course, the sad things too – moving cities, break ups, deaths, and the inevitable highs and lows of maintaining a friendship that’s spanned nearly two decades. Ultimately though, it’s pretty amazing knowing someone for that long and still having stuff to talk about. We know each other inside out and back to front, but still surprise each other sometimes – and that’s important I think. We all need to grow, spread our wings and fly.

Then there’s the crazy bunch of people I met at University in the last 8-10 years, who have all stuck by my side through hilarious stories and chapters in life. The share-housing, the pizza nights, the drunken nights, the ones who’ve held my hair back as I’m hurling into a toilet. The ones who’ve travelled all over the world, but when we get together again it’s like no time has passed, and you can pick up right where you left off. The thing I like about this bunch is that we’re all from regional Queensland – Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton and Mackay. Our dynamics as a group are wonderful, and I’m looking forward to what our future holds with a smile on my face.

Lastly there’s the odd assortment of people I’ve met through working in the hotel industry over the last four years, a random bunch of people thrown together with one goal – good customer service. These are the people that see how you react under intense pressure, deadlines and difficult guests. They see you stressed out, put on the spot and can’t help but scrutinise your professionalism, thinking patterns and workplace habits. Getting together outside of the workplace is always interesting – you’ve known each other in one dimension only, and seeing them in ‘free dress’ and talking without boundaries is always a bit of an eye-opener. Ultimately though, you can pick out the ones you’ll click with from an early stage. Once you’ve farted in front of them, commented on their smelly shoes or revealed how you think the guy in the bar is super cute, the friendship is solid.

I think it’s incredibly important to have a variety of friendships from all walks of life, to give us the social outlets we need as humans. That personal connection with people is essential to personal development – we need to feel ‘included’ in certain circles and feel like we’re part of something, contributing to society. I’m truly grateful for all the people who’ve stuck around over the years, and while I sometimes might become reclusive or distant while dealing with my own issues, I’ll always come back with an open hand.

Spent the morning wandering through Yungaburra, a quaint little town on the Atherton Tablelands in North Queensland. Absolutely charming place – each street is lined with bouquets of flowers hanging from lamp posts, and shop fronts are decorated with quirky quotes and character.

Elderly ladies filled well worn cottages, getting together for tea and scones. Shop owners bustled around in checkered aprons, proud of their little slices of paradise.

Vibrant colours are everywhere to be seen in this beautiful little town, with a new delight waiting around each corner we turned. After a freshly brewed chai latte and home cooked sausage roll, I was content and happy.

We call ourselves the lucky country, and for very good reason. If you’ve had the fortune of visiting us Down Under, the first thing you might notice is how much space we have. Completely surrounded by ocean, Australia is dotted with coastal cities and beaches, rain forests, cane fields, cliff faces, natural water holes and stories of the Dreamtime. Wide open landscapes fill the country between our major cities, while smaller but charming towns fill our hearts with joy and glimpses of a simple existence. I love the fresh air here, the smell of sea salt on the wind and palm trees swaying in the breeze. Lara Bingle aptly put it, ‘Where the bloody hell are you?’ in this famous tourism advertisement, and she couldn’t have been more right:

I’m lucky enough to call Australia home and am currently living in North Queensland, the state based on the North/East Coast. I felt inspired to write this blog post after a beautiful morning connecting with nature at Cape Hillsborough National Park, about 40 minutes drive from the city of Mackay (my home). We arrived at the park just on dawn this morning where a small group of people were gathered on the beach, watching the majestic kangaroos dotted across the shoreline greeting a new day. This was truly an incredible sight. I’ve seen plenty of kangaroos in my life, but seeing them on this stunning beach at sunrise, hopping along with their babies without a care in the world was really quite breathtaking. As the sun slowly burst through a light cloud cover, my friend and I had a lovely little picnic completely at one with nature and more importantly – no WIFI signal! A truly spectacular morning that I won’t be forgetting.

I know the blogging community is stretched far and wide across the world, which is why I am encouraging those international readers to come visit us here in Australia. You won’t be disappointed 🙂

I recently had the pleasure of travelling California (and Vegas) by myself for 3 weeks, which was eye-opening to say the least. I didn’t plan to go alone – my friend had to pull out at the last minute due to personal reasons, so I decided to don my solo travelling boots and hit the West Coast. I had ideas of what my travels might entail – the beach, hostels, new friends and cocktails. Little did I know what a BIG place Los Angeles is! I felt like a tiny, naive ant in this sprawling Californian city where dreams come to die (unless you’re rich and famous).

My first 2 nights were spent near Hollywood Boulevard – a hot mess of people from all walks of life mixed in with the smell of tacos, nachos and hot sauce. I did Santa Monica, Universal Studios and Sunset Blvd like a typical tourist, before heading North to the idyllic town of Santa Barbara. What a refreshing change from the chaos of LA! No sirens and police helicopters here, I spent the days wandering beautiful Spanish-inspired streets and embracing the summer sun. I even found a fantastic Thai restaurant! Savouring the familiar flavours of a Panang Curry, I felt a sense of relief and gratitude. I couldn’t eat another burrito if you paid me!

Next on my list was the stunning bay of San Francisco, which I absolutely loved. Up and down hills filled with boutique restaurants, shops and a cultural melting pot, the cold wind did little to deter my spirits. I was challenged by my first hostel experience – having never shared a room with complete strangers it’s accurate to say I didn’t get much sleep. I did however embrace the free walking tour of the city with my fellow hostel-dwellers, and had a blast trying clam chowder on the marina. Of particular enjoyment was my day in Yosemite National Park, seeing the wonder of El Capitan and watching free climbers ascend to the top – simply amazing.

The hot desert beckoned me towards Vegas next, with a bus breakdown on the way to give me a taste of the rising heat. And holy hell was it hot! The only thing hotter was my experience at the Jennifer Lopez concert. Man could she shake it! Seeing Cirque du Soleil was another tick off the bucket list, an incredible performance of stamina, athleticism and beauty. The last destination on my list was the cruisy city of San Diego, where I spent evenings wandering along the ocean and listening to local music.

I had a fantastic time overall, and while I would have liked to have a friend with me on the journey I’m proud of myself for having the courage to go alone. The trip gave me an appreciation of how incredibly lucky we are in Australia, with education, health care and government to our spacious land trumping everything I saw in America. They don’t call us the lucky country for nothing!